For Canadians, people who cover the NHL and media nerds, the NHL's new 12-year, $5.2 billion TV deal with Rogers Sportsnet is a big deal. That, largely, is because Rogers is not TSN, and TSN has, for many, been the face of hockey coverage for the last two decades or so. It's best-in-class, generally speaking—game coverage, event coverage, access. All top notch, and it'll be missed.

But then, not everyone is Canadian, or a media nerd, or covers the NHL. What does the NHL's new TV deal mean for hockey fans in the United States? Here's the important stuff:

1) More money for your team. This is a big one. Rogers is paying the league an immense sum of money each year (starting with $150 million down and a $350 million annual fee), and that money is divided between the 30 teams, with some coming off the top for the seven Canadian teams. Is it fair? Maybe, maybe not. But there's more cash—and a higher salary cap—on its way. James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail estimates the cap will rise about $3 million after next season based on the TV deal alone. Overall, as noted by Greg Wyshynski, the $5.2 billion Canadian and $2 billion American mean that the NHL's total rights deal is worth almost as much as the NBA's ($7.4 billion, ABC/ESPN and TNT).

2) NBC Sports can get better. Whether it's by adding depth or making wholesale swaps, the league's American rights-holder should make a run at, essentially, whomever they can get. As others have noted, play-by-play analyst Ray Ferraro, as a former NBC employee, would make a lot of sense. Why stop at him, though? Why not add a studio analyst or two? Why not add an information guy? Why not add entire shows? This is a pretty great opportunity for both the network and fans who watch it.

3) Your trade deadline and draft days will change. For the last several years, NHL Network and NBC Sports simulcast TSN's coverage of those events. That's over. Sportsnet, presumably, will get that as well—unless NBC tries to do something for themselves.

4) Other stuff will change, too. Power tends to follow money, and there's a whole lot of both shifting hands at the moment. New deals mean new relationships, which could mean different people people breaking news—or the same people on a different network. Most people in this business, whether they realize it or not, are chasing TSN. That could change, and that change will trickle down to fans.

5) The Don Cherry conundrum. For better or worse, Cherry is bigger than "Hockey Night In Canada." That iconic programming block itself is sticking around, but it'll pay Rogers a sublicensing fee—which means Rogers gets full editorial control. It's up to them to decide whether Cherry (and his suits, and all that other baggage) stick around, too. Just don't touch the montages.